My button layout, opinions/critique before I drill?

[LightningBolt]

I know a lot of people these days like Japanese layouts since your fingers rest where they naturally are, I guess? But I like straight American style layouts because my fingers/brain know the exact distance between buttons, it's all uniform and I don't have to guess at the exact distance. It's like a piano for video games.

The 6 red/green/blue buttons are for my index/middle/ring finger. The yellow button is so I can shift my fingers over for 3 button games or old school NES advantage
style gaming. I don't care much about my pinky. Also I can use my thumb on yellow and index/middle finger on the top row, that works too.

Everything is angled 10 degrees counter-clockwise for wrist relief so it's more ergonomic than what US arcades usually had. It's not too crooked to either direction and natural for my wrist position.

Each button is 36mm from each other (center to center). Joystick is 95mm to the yellow button.

[HanoiBoi]

I can't tell if you aren't aware of slagcoin, or if you are trying to customize an existing layout.  In the case of the former, check here and you'll be able to use one of the top layouts (like 4th thru 7th from the top), and simply don't drill that 8th button.

 http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

[LightningBolt]

I can't tell if you aren't aware of slagcoin, or if you are trying to customize an existing layout.  In the case of the former, check here and you'll be able to use one of the top layouts (like 4th thru 7th from the top), and simply don't drill that 8th button.

 http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

Yes I altered one of their templates

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout/hybrid36_m.png

[Louis Tully]

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[jdbailey1206]

What Ive done also LightningBolt is buy a cheapo Rubbermaid container from the big box store and wire it up as a psuedo control panel as LT suggested and play on it for a couple od days to a week amd see how she plays.  Then tweak where necessary.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I like it, for a 1 player control panel.  BUT if it's 2 player, try playing it with another person next to you on the right.  You'll quickly realize that you will be elbowing them constantly, now that your wrist and elbow need to swing out to hit the buttons.  If you have a lot of real estate between players, I say go for it.  Otherwise, I'd either make it a straight layout or curved straight layout.

Good luck!

D

[shponglefan]

Layout is a matter of preference. Just make a couple different layouts on scrap wood or cardboard and see which fits you best.

+1 This

Also, +2 +3 +4 and +5

[keilmillerjr]

Whole thread arguing how to orient 7 buttons... Spends 1 week constantly playing galaga that only uses 1 button.

On a serious note, it's a matter of preference. I see nothing with what your doing.

[Yenome]

I would take your layout and straighten it on on a horizontal line. then take the first button on the bottom and put it on the right side of the bottom row. i use the layout you have now just straight on the horizontal and ill be moving the button when i build my control panel as the mock up make me feel the 4th button should be on the right instead of the left. and im used to the straight KI/Street fighter layout from american arcades. i been using it for months since i dont have the room for a full cab and busy with other things to not be able to build the control panel.

[pbj]

If you're doing 7 buttons, I'd go ahead and do 8 personally.  That way you get A B X Y L R White Black on an Xbox.

[DeLuSioNal29]

If you're doing 7 buttons, I'd go ahead and do 8 personally.  That way you get A B X Y L R White Black on an Xbox.

+1
Especially if you're going to run PC games on Steam.

D

[screamingtiger]

I have that same layout,
My thoughts were street fighter uses 6 and for some games that use 3 I do use that 7th button near the thumb for block or special moves etc.

I have a 2 player and dont have issues with elbows.  I have yet to use more than 4 buttons and I do question if all of them are necessary.  However I plan to play super NES games so I'll see then, if still dont need them or I dont like playing SNES I will go down to 3 buttons.

You can see what I did here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,141057.msg1460686.html#msg1460686

[Sneetch]

Whole thread arguing how to orient 7 buttons... Spends 1 week constantly playing galaga that only uses 1 button.

yeah, I have 6 buttons and constantly play titles that only use one or none. Galaga, Frogger, Pacman.  lol